Society
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‘Everyone suddenly burst out singing’
Could the virus help bring us together? Social distancing is the new normal as the pandemic takes over the world – but some people predict that, in other ways, we may become closer than ever.
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Say hello to your new best friend: yourself
Could self-isolation be a blessing in disguise? In the coming days, we face sweeping new rules confining us to our homes. But across the ages, many people have found solitude beneficial.
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Marchers around the world call for equality
Will women ever have equal rights? “An equal world is an enabled world,” declared thousands around the globe as they took to the streets yesterday. But what do the hard statistics tell us?
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Turkey threatens Europe with refugee crisis
Should Europe welcome more refugees? Turkey has “opened the human floodgates” in retaliation for lack of support in Syria. Rich, Western nations are trapped in an agonising, moral dilemma.
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Secrets of England’s greatest treasure trove
Should we all be neo-Saxons now? A new exhibition will highlight the dazzling artistic creations of the Anglo-Saxons and the lessons we can learn from their way of life, 1,400 years on.
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UK launches battle plan to fight Covid-19
Is personal freedom as important as public health? The UK has outlined sweeping emergency powers to stop Covid-19 – but should a democratic government use force to keep people healthy?
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Britain’s baby boom starts…at Downing Street
Is it okay to have children? The PM has announced he will become a father – for the fifth or sixth time – this summer. But many experts say the climate crisis means we should stop reproducing.
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Sanders set to crush rivals on Super Tuesday
Is left-wing politics back? Tomorrow, as 14 American states go to the polls, Bernie Sanders could take a huge step towards the world’s most powerful job. Is this part of a wider trend?
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Row explodes over Amazon Nazi-hunter show
Is it wrong to tell fictional stories about the Holocaust? A new TV show about vigilante justice has been accused of sensationalising the genocide of millions for entertainment purposes.
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Human compost offers eco-friendly way to go
Can human composting save the planet? As we try to live more ecologically, new funeral methods are changing our attitudes about death and creating green alternatives to burial and cremation.
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Western life expectancy slows in ‘lost decade’
Has Western society stopped improving? A shocking new report shows that babies born in England will no longer live longer than their parents. Life expectancy in America peaked in 2014.
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Goodbye to tasty treats as Lent begins
Is giving things up a good idea? Today is the start of Lent, when Christians traditionally deprive themselves of something they enjoy. But the practice is common to other religions too.
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Free speech ‘in greatest peril since WW2’
Is free speech REALLY under threat? A new mass-membership organisation, launched yesterday, claims that one of society’s most important freedoms is facing its greatest challenge since 1945.
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Daredevil killed in rocket launch disaster
Was he a hero or a fool? Mike Hughes, who believed the Earth was flat, died launching a homemade rocket this weekend. Supporters mourn an eccentric daredevil; critics say he was a crackpot.
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Artificial morality: how to raise good robots
Do robots need morals? A leading law-maker has said that artificial intelligence must meet ethical standards. But even leading researchers do not fully understand the machines they build.